Book vs. Movie: Water for Elephants

I decided to read Water for Elephants when I started seeing commercials for the movie. I knew I'd want to see it, and I have to read the book before I watch the movie. Last night I finally got a chance to compare the two.

My verdict: I really liked the movie! I thought they did a great job of capturing the spirit of the book, while covering pretty much all of the plot. It helps that the book isn't that long so nothing really had to be cut. Overall I thought they did a good job with it. I also want to say that I didn't remember every detail from the book, nor was I heavily invested in the story; so others might have a different opinion than me.

The only negative I can think of was that there could have been a little more chemistry between Reese Witherspoon and Rob Pattinson.

What did you guys think of the movie and how it compared to the book?

Waiting on Wednesday - 85

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine for bloggers and readers to get excited about upcoming books.

Lovely, Dark and Deep by Amy McNamara

About a high-school senior, who, in the aftermath of a car accident that kills her boyfriend and throws her carefully planned future into complete upheaval, retreats to the deep woods of Maine to live with the artist father she barely knows and meets a boy who threatens to pull her from her safe, hard-won exile. (from GoodReads)

The cover and title make this novel look very literary! I also think the summary sounds interesting. I just read a book about a drunk driving accident so we'll see how this compares! Lovely, Dark and Deep will be released November 13, 2012.

Top Ten Tuesday - 31

Top Ten Tuesday was started by The Broke and the Bookish for bloggers who like making lists about books.

Top Ten Favorite Quotes from Books

1. “Because what is more like love than the ocean? You can play in it, drown in it. It can be clear and bright enough to hurt your eyes, or covered in fog; hidden behind a curve of road, and then suddenly there in full glory. Its waves come like breaths, in and out, in and out, body stretched to forever in its possibilities and yet its heart lies deep, not fully knowable, inconceivably majestic.” - Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti

2. “If you care about something, you have the right to protect it – if you’re lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage to live it.” - A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

3. “Ideas don’t hurt people; people without ideas do.” - Going Bovine by Libba Bray

4. “Words are like x-rays, if you use them properly – they’ll go through anything.” - Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

5. “Heroes didn’t leap tall buildings or stop bullets with an outstretched hand; they didn’t wear boots and capes. They bled and they bruised, and their superpowers were as simple as listening or loving. Heroes were ordinary people who knew that even if their own lives were impossibly knotted, they could untangle someone else’s. And maybe that one act could lead someone to rescue you right back." - Second Glance by Jodi Picoult

6. “When you love someone, you love the whole person, as they are, and not as you’d like them to be.” - Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

7. “Eavesdroppers often hear highly entertaining and instructive things.” - Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

8. “One must always be careful of books and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.” - Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

9. “It is our choices that show us what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

10. “Because she wants to run a dictatorial regime and our underground, unsanctioned tours were thwarting the total controls she wields over the school.” - Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales

The Princesses of Iowa by M. Molly Backes

Summary:
What does it mean to do wrong, when no one punishes you? A smart and unflinching look at friendship, the nature of entitlement, and growing up in the heartland.
Paige Sheridan has the perfect life. She's pretty, rich, and popular, and her spot on the homecoming court is practically guaranteed. But when a night of partying ends in an it-could-have-been-so-much worse crash, everything changes. Her best friends start ignoring her, her boyfriend grows cold and distant, and her once-adoring younger sister now views her with contempt. The only bright spot is
her creative writing class, led by a charismatic new teacher who encourages students to be true to themselves. But who is Paige, if not the homecoming princess everyone expects her to be?

In this arresting and witty debut, a girl who was once high-school royalty must face a truth that money and status can't fix, and choose between living the privileged life of a princess, or owning up to her mistakes and giving up everything she once held dear. (from GoodReads)

Review:
I was really in need of some good ole contemporary YA after spending almost two months reading the fantasy Song of Ice and Fire series. The Princesses of Iowa was a great pick for this and it's a debut! I really enjoyed this novel, however I do thing the author tried to cram too many things into it.

There was a lot about The Princesses of Iowa that is similar to other YA books: popular girl finding herself, drinking/drunk driving, high school, friendship/family issues. But I thought that The Princesses of Iowa put a spin on all that. First off, the book takes place in Iowa, which is definitely different. The accident that Paige was involved in could have been a lot worse and the book is mainly the aftermath of this event a few months after its occurence.

I was really expecting the drunk driving accident to take center stage, since it seemed to be the main point of the plot, but there was so much going on that it was pushed into the background. I know teens have to deal with a lot of different things but this book honestly did not need to address every single one. There were so many themes and separate plot points that everything felt mashed together. Let's see, there was: drunk driving, friendship/boyfriend/family issues, self-image, two love interests, popularity, parental/peer pressure, disabilities and gay rights/discrimination. All this was tied around writing, because Paige is taking a creative writing class. So she's trying to work around all these issues while using writing as therapy. So there is a lot going on! While I'm glad that the author discussed gay rights/discrimination because that's a very important issue, it felt like it was thrown in there with no relation to the plot. That could have been its own separate thought.

Even though the book was super long and had many things going on, I liked that Paige developed like a true dynamic character. She really did change for the better and it was nice to actually be able to see that. Also some of the supporting characters were really fun to read about, such as Shanti, Ethan, and Mr. Tremont. I did enjoy The Princesses of Iowa, but I think it could have been written a little better. So if any of the million themes interest you, you'd probably like this book.

Release Date: May 8, 2012
Rating: 7 out of 10.
FTC: from Flamingnet Book Reviews

2012/Candlewick Press/464 pages.

Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White

Summary:
Something—some power—is blooming inside Laurel. She can use flowers to do things. Like bringing back lost memories. Or helping her friends ace tests. Or making people fall in love.

Laurel suspects her newfound ability has something to do with an ancient family secret, one that her mother meant to share with Laurel when the time was right. But then time ran out.

Clues and signs and secret messages seem to be all around Laurel at Avondale School, where her mother had also boarded as a student. Can Laurel piece everything together quickly enough to control her power, which is growing more potent every day? Or will she set the stage for the most lovestruck, infamous prom in the history of the school? (from GoodReads)

Review:
This has been on my shelf for about two years and I finally got around to reading it! That being said, I thought the novel was cute but definitely more suited towards younger readers.

Forget-Her-Nots had a great premise: the secret language of flowers. Not only do flowers have different meanings, but Laurel has a special ability that she can use those meanings to make actual things occur. For example, rosemary is for memory, but Laurel can make sure you remember all your Spanish vocab when she gives you the herb. So there was a bit of a fantasy aspect that I was not expecting. Even though I knew that flowers represented things, but I didn't realize how extensive it went! I loved learning the different meanings and definitely have more of an interest in flowers after reading this.

In Forget-Her-Nots, Laurel is fourteen and a freshmen in high school. Sometimes the character's age doesn't matter to me because the tone of a novel can make younger characters seem older. But since Forget-Her-Nots was very light and fun, I would have liked this book better when I was 12. I could tell this was MG/early YA, which is why this isn't my favorite book.

Overall, if you're interested in flowers and gardening this might be a good book for you. But you would probably enjoy it more if you're a little younger.

Rating: 7 out of 10.
FTC: received from Flamingnet.

2010/Greenwillow Books/384 pages.

Waiting on Wednesday - 84

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine for bloggers and readers to get excited about new books.
The Almost Truth by Eileen Cook

When a teenaged con artist realizes that she looks like an age-enhanced photo of a missing child, she decides to pull the ultimate con--until she begins to suspect she may actually be the missing child. (from GoodReads)

The summary is super short, but I'm already intrigued! YA con artists are always the best (see: The Heist Society) so I'm looking forward to a strong and spunky heroine! The Almost Truth will be released December 4, 2012.

Top Ten Tuesday - 30

Top Ten Tuesday was started by The Broke and the Bookish for bloggers who like making lists about books!

Top Ten Books I'd Like to See be Made into a Movie

1. Heist Society by Ally Carter

2. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

3. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

4. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

5. Divergent by Veronica Roth

6. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

7. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare - This is actually starting filming in August, but I'm still impatiently waiting for it to be on the big screen!

8. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - This is a given as well, but I still want to see it!

9. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

10. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan